Summer 2011 a disappointment?

This is pretty much the last week of the blockbuster season of this Summer that kicked off with Thor, an unassuming and seemingly silly superhero film that many wrote off within the first trailer. Admittedly, I did to. I realize how wrong I was, and in fact Thor is still the most competent blockbuster of this year. Since then things have been hardly keeping themselves afloat, at least in this viewer's opinion. I know many who were more than pleased with Super 8, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, and X-Men: First Class, even if I wasn't. Hell, I even found Captain America of all things to be a somewhat welcome and campy reprieve from all the disappointment.

And that's just scraping the surface of what the viewing public critically approved of. How can we forget about all the warranted cynicism surrounding Priest, the blatant distaste of On Stranger Tides, and the unimaginable stupidity of The Hangover: Part II. And I almost forgot to mention Green Lantern, but it managed to disgust even the most hardcore of fanboys. And (dis)honorable mentions are needed for Zookeeper, Cars 2, Bad Teacher, Horrible Bosses, and others I'm too tired to list. All this hatred makes me forget the few real successes of the year.

Remember Kung Fu Panda 2, and how it brought us the greatest supporting actor performance of the year out of the mouth of a peacock? If Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy bottoms out, unlikely as it is, I'd suggest Gary Oldman just be nominated for that. How about Bridesmaids? Absolutely hilarious for almost two straight hours, and surprising depth from Kristen Wiig of all nutty characters. And I know this isn't a common opinion, but Transformers: Dark of the Moon was the most guiltily enjoyable romp of the summer. I feel no shame in admitting my enjoyment of Bay's loud stupidity.

So the season effectively ends this weekend with Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which is about as unassuming as film as Thor was at the start of the year. Fittingly enough, both films look to feature fantastically strong leading performances from unlikely actors. Having seen just seen it now, I can say that it keeps up this summer's streak of being adequate but not at all outstanding. I'll get to that later, but I didn't hate everything about the film. In particular, one thing is truly amazing.

Box Office Update: "Hallows" Kills It

Well you can't say that the highest grossing motion picture franchise in history wasn't going to go out without making a huge dent in our wallets. This was inevitable since Friday, but Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 has broken The Dark Knight's opening weekend record by a clear $13 million. The film did earn most of that from the gargantuan Friday debut, but despite the fall from Friday to Saturday, it held on rather respectfully from Saturday to Sunday. It's to be seen how off that estimate is when the final numbers hit on Monday, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's a couple million up or down.

It's a massive accomplishment, but there were other milestones to be had this weekend. For starters, Transformers: Dark of the Moon became the first film of 2011 to bust past that pesky $300 million mark. I'll admit to playing a slight hand in that, as I saw the film a second time last evening. Both Horrible Bosses and Zookeeper held on honestly, as no threatening new comedies entered the market. That'll change when Friends with Benefits swings around the corner next weekend.

The most shocking failure of this weekend was poor Winnie the Pooh, which landed in sixth place with only $8 million. People complaining that their childhood was over after Potter debuted were clearly looking in the wrong place. My favorite success of the weekend, however, was Midnight in Paris, reentering the top ten this week just in time to blow past Hannah and Her Sisters to become the highest grossing Woody Allen film to date. So obviously this weekend at the box office was an improvement (a 46.4% improvement at that) upon last year, when Inception opened to the top spot.

1. Harry Potter...Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (First Weekend; $168.5 million)

2. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Third Weekend; $21.2 million)

3. Horrible Bosses (Second Weekend; $17.6 million)

4. Zookeeper (Second Weekend; $12.3 million)

5. Cars 2 (Fourth Weekend; $8.3 million)

6. Winnie the Pooh (First weekend; $8 million)

7. Bad Teacher (Fourth Weekend; $5.2 million)

8. Larry Crowne (Third Weekend; $2.5 million)

9. Super 8 (Sixth Weekend; $1.9 million)

10. Midnight in Paris (Ninth Weekend; $1.8 million)

Box Office Update: "Bosses" Rise Against "Moon"

Forgive me if things have been too silent for your liking lately. Balancing my work online and an actual job is a bit of a chore, and some things rightly take a back seat. I promise that things will pick up considerably after the summer, but you can expect things to be slow around this time of year. Obviously the box office is not one of such things, so that's something I'll always comment on. As for this particular weekend, nothing is truly changed or different. Transformers: Dark of the Moon remains the one to beat for the year, though that could certainly change very soon.

Michael Bay's trilogy capper fell a heavy 52% from its giant debut, and it raises a question of how much higher than $300 million it will reach domestically. Still, the film is performing quite admirably given the constant assault of critical backlash. I realize I never did weigh in on the film, so I'll take just a moment to give my thoughts. It's perhaps the worst film of the entire series, but it's also the most enjoyable, stupidly hilarious, and just plain fun films I've seen in a long time. I enjoyed Revenge of the Fallen more than Transformers, and I enjoyed Dark of the Moon even more. Call me insane, but that's my standing on the matter.

In the meantime, comedic films tried to add an inch of levity to the summer, and somewhat successfully if you look at the money charts. Horrible Bosses, which I hear has received a handful of good reviews, would've reigned champion this weekend if it weren't for Bay's machines. Zookeeper, was the weaker of the two, but give it credit for inching just above the $20 million mark this weekend. Cars 2 is taking smaller drops now, but I'd expect it to end below even Ratatouille, one of Pixar's toughest sells. Rounding out the top five is Bad Teacher, which I saw and was somewhat appalled by on Thursday. Still, it's been holding on well, and could make it to $100 million if all continues as it is. Sure, the weekend was down from last year when Despicable Me placed first, but expect an uptick in good time.

1. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Second Weekend; $47 million)

2. Horrible Bosses (First Weekend; $28.1 million)

3. Zookeeper (First Weekend; $21 million)

4. Cars 2 (Third Weekend; $15.2 million)

5. Bad Teacher (Third Weekend; $9 million)

6. Larry Crowne (Second Weekend; $6.3 million)

7. Super 8 (Fifth Weekend; $4.8 million)

8. Monte Carlo (Second Weekend; $3.8 million)

9. Green Lantern (Fourth Weekend; $3.1 million)

10. Mr. Popper's Penguins (Fourth Weekend; $2.9 million)

Box Office Update: Under Light of "Moon"

It seems like the box office is thriving, with another major hit having taken a huge chunk of the earnings this weekend, be it one that we expected. To be honest, I would have expected bigger numbers from Transformers: Dark of the Moon, but I guess the weak(er) start had to do with the general anger towards the second film. As most know, I quite enjoyed the second film, and I quite enjoyed the third film for the same basic reasons. It's big, loud, stupid, hilarious, honest, and quite obviously beautiful. Every artist has a certain style, and Bay's is with the degenerate and flashy. You can't simply watch this film and lump it in with the crowd of failing blockbusters.

Cars 2 took a massive drop from last weekend, by far the largest drop of any Pixar film, but there's no surprise there. Larry Crowne failed on impact, not making a huge dent with the opposite demographic of Transformers. Monte Carlo also didn't make a big impact, but it did well for what was expected of it. That's the main thing you can say about it, is that it did exactly what it was expected to do, and that's fine. In the scheme of total grosses, Bridesmaids passed the $150 million point, which I'm quite happy about. Pirates 4 passed $1 billion worldwide, which I'm not at all happy about. It certainly puts Alice in Wonderland in perspective in terms of quality.

1. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (First Weekend; $116.4 million)

2. Cars 2 (Second Weekend; $32.1 million)

3. Bad Teacher (Second Weekend; $17.6 million)

4. Larry Crowne (First Weekend; $15.7 million)

5. Super 8 (Fourth Weekend; $9.5 million)

6. Monte Carlo (First Wekend; $8.8 million)

7. Green Lantern (Third Weekend; $8 million)

8. Mr. Popper's Penguins (Third Weekend; $6.9 million)

9. Bridesmaids (Eighth Weekend; $4.4 million)

10. Midnight in Paris (Seventh Weekend; $4.3 million)

Midpoint 2011: What's worth remembering?

To get yet another pet peeve out of the way, it is never appropriate to write in a review of any film, no matter how great it is, that it's the best film of the year thus far. After a time, it becomes far too redundant and honestly irritating. I don't like revealing my cards before they're played, and for that reason it seem ridiculous to remark on the best films of the year thus far. We're six months in and we haven't really gotten much to show for it. The first three months were a depressing slog through the gutters, and April was only refreshing in the most carnal of fashion.

How do I believe that? Well, you look at the standouts of the month, such as Hanna and Source Code, and while they are entertaining mainstream efforts, they offer little more than basic thrills and stylish conceits. Then May came along and the onslaught of fire, explosions, and death began, but not without a few small achievements. Thor proved to be a solid fantasy blockbuster adventure, Bridesmaids was a fascinating introspective comedy that succeeded where most failed, and Kung Fu Panda 2 is commendable for bringing us another fantastic performance from Gary Oldman.

June is where things got decidedly dicey, with anticipated films like X-Men: First Class, Super 8, and Cars 2 leaving this viewers infinitely disappointed. Even Transformers: Dark of the Moon, a film I was honestly ready to enjoy for what it was, managed to fail on a few levels that Revenge of the Fallen just didn't. I know! I really need to stop being so dead inside. I'll get my review for the film up by tomorrow, but the fact of the matter is that this year has thus far been largely a disappointment. I'd write it off as irrelevant when it comes to what I remember at the close of the year, but there are things worthy of mention.

Box Office Update: "2" Fast. Not Furious.

Seriously, what the hell is wrong with this summer? We've gone on so far without anything being truly exceptional, that I'm honestly playing quite the pessimist. I'm honestly kind of excited for Transformers: Dark of the Moon to lift me out of this rut I've been stuck in. That's not to say that films haven't been mildly successful. Green Lantern looks to be the only unmitigated failure of the blockbuster summer thus far. Things have been on a downward slope for Cars 2 all week, and yet it still displays an honorable total for this weekend.

I'm not surprised, as kids were greatly pleased with Hop a few months back, so why on earth would they not be even more pleased with Cars 2? The film beat low expectations to take the top spot with $8 million more than the previous film's opening. It's still to be determined how well the film plays in the long term, but there isn't much to draw away the kid crowd in the next month, so I'd say the film's prospects are strong. Now, the other new releases would usually be a non-factor, but Bad Teacher put up a fantastic opening north of $30 million, which is spectacular for a comedic venture like that.

Aside from that, there's not much to this weekend's box office. Green Lantern took a nosedive of nearly 65%, and looks like it's going to be a total failure. Super 8 is currently en route to doubling its budget of $50 million. Overall, the weekend was up a good 8% from last year, so things might be taking a turn for the better after Green Lantern's failure.

1. Cars 2 (First Weekend; $68 million)

2. Bad Teacher (First Weekend; $31 million)

3. Green Lantern (Second Weekend; $18.4 million)

4. Super 8 (Third Weekend; $12.1 million)

5. Mr. Popper's Penguins (Second Weekend; $10.3 million)

6. X-Men: First Class (Fourth Weekend; $6.6 million)

7. The Hangover: Part II (Fifth Weekend; $5.9 million)

8. Bridesmaids (Seventh Weekend; $5.4 million)

9. Pirates 4 (Sixth Weekend; $4.7 million)

10. Midnight in Paris (Sixth Weekend; $4.5 million)

Box Office Update: Green Means Stop

Sorry there wasn't any "Weekend Report", but from time to time my actual job tends to come in the way of me getting things up on time. On to the actual news, Green Lantern's opening was a mix of the good and the bad, opening modestly to $21.6 million on Friday only to decline greatly with the next two days. I have absolutely no intention of seeing it and adding to its now depressing total. It still managed to hold onto the top spot, but that's no huge feat going up against the second weekend of Super 8. Talking of which, J.J. Abrams' new film slipped only 40% from last weekend, which is pretty spectacular for a film built on a budget of $50 million.

Then there's the bastard second new release that finds its place lower down the list at number 3, this week being Mr. Popper's Penguins. The film fared less favorably than imagined given its kid friendly premise, but it was expected to land somewhere just below $20 million. Don't expect further kindness with Cars 2 coming in next week to snatch the kid crowd, and Bad Teacher picking up the comedic circuit. X-Men: First Class continued on a downward trend, falling another 50% to fourth place. Filling out the top five was The Hangover: Part II, which is finally bottoming out, and should end its run at about $250 million, far more than it deserves. This weekend ultimately was a gargantuan 23.8% down from last year, but that's understandable against the opening of Toy Story 3.

1. Green Lantern (First Weekend; $52.7 million)

2. Super 8 (Second Weekend; $21.3 million)

3. Mr. Popper's Penguins (First Weekend; $18.2 million)

4. X-Men: First Class (Third Weekend; $11.5 million)

5. The Hangover: Part II (Fourth Weekend; $9.6 million)

6. Kung Fu Panda 2 (Fourth Weekend; $8.7 million)

7. Bridesmaids (Sixth Weekend; $7.5 million)

8. Pirates of the Caribbean 4 (Fifth Weekend; $6.2 million)

9. Midnight in Paris (Fifth Weekend; $5 million)

10. Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer (Second Weekend; $2.2 million)

Box Office Update: Super Eight Figures

I didn't think I'd be saying this at the start of this weekend, but what an astounding weekend it was. It should probably be a bit more clear why once I make my next post much later this evening, but I had a genuinely wonderful experience at the movies this weekend. That's what I've been complaining so much about this year lacking concerning the films released. None of them have seemed like real events, or moments when the world stops its nonsense and gives you its focus. Out of context, this must be rather confusing and strange, so here's hoping it lures you back to find out why I'm so smitten.

On to the matter at hand, this weekend had a great deal going against it, and it was clear that it wasn't going to match up with last year when The Karate Kid and The A-Team brought in their own massive heap. Well what better way to combat vintage 80's cash grab than late 70's nostalgia? Super 8 was able to put up a truly admirable figure of $37 million, which is exceptional because the film has a cast of unknowns and cost only $50 million to make. My hat's off to Abrams, who barely made the film's budget evident. It looked much better than any of the blockbusters ripping people off right now.

X-Men: First Class held on moderately well, not dipping further than 54.6%, but that may be due to the lesser impact of Super 8 as opposed to more gargantuan blockbusters. The prequel should clear the $100 million mark by Tuesday at the latest. Hangover 2 and Pirates 4 both joined the ranks of Fast Five in passing the $200 million mark, yet undeservedly so. The reason for Pirates should be obvious, but Hangover 2 is en route to be considered an equal success as the first film. What made the first one so outstanding in box office terms was how it held on over the course of the summer, despite humble beginnings. It never completely left memory at the box office. I think we just want to forget Part II.

Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer met an inglorious seventh place opening, which makes me glad that people didn't waste quite as much time with it as I worried they would. One of the real standouts this weekend was Midnight in Paris, which expanded to 944 theaters and added to its exceptional total given the indie nature of the film. In summation, the film was only a 4.1% decrease from last year, which is totally understandable and nothing to scoff at.

1. Super 8 (First Weekend; $37 million)

2. X-Men: First Class (Second Weekend; $25 million)

3. The Hangover: Part II (Third Weekend; $18.5 million)

4. Kung Fu Panda 2 (Third Weekend; $16.6 million)

5. Pirates of the Caribbean 4 (Fourth Weekend; $10.8 million)

6. Bridesmaids (Fifth Weekend; $10.2 million)

7. Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer (First Weekend; $6.2 million)

8. Midnight in Paris (Fourth Weekend; $6.1 million)

9. Thor (Sixth Weekend; $2.4 million)

10. Fast Five (Seventh Weekend; $1.7 million)

Film Review: "Super 8" (**1/2)

Looking back on the triad of decades from the 1970s to the 1990s, many people do call to mind Steven Spielberg amongst the more defining directors. He's made a great many high impact films such as E.T., Jaws, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but he's had a bit of a dry spell recently. Films like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and War of the Worlds have given him something of a negative  reputation lately. So much can go right with a film like Super 8, and it does its best to be its own thing. While it doesn't hurt to have such a great director as inspiration, the films is a homage to the wrong sort of Spielberg.

The film opens on a sign listing days gone by since the last accident at a mill, and before the fact, I knew they were going to set it back to one. So no, the film gets no points for subtlety on this one. It then cuts to the wake for young Joe Lamb's mother, and we get the idea through dialogue that she did not go out well. It's at this point, with Joe sitting alone on the swing outside, I got the idea that Abrams was crafting a sibling to Matt Reeves' film adaptation Let Me In. In fact, I was beginning to expect the film to be something more than I expected.

Then the stray plot strand invades the film, and it is of course the main thing that has drawn audiences in to see this film. The main group of kids, working to make their own zombie film, shoot at a train station one evening just in time for a truck to derail an oncoming train. This particular sequence is where the film reaches its experiential high, because even if they don't build up the event quite as much as they should, the train wreck is a beauty to behold. It's an immediate onslaught of fire and terror, and while we know that the train has to stop blowing up at some point, we really wish it wouldn't.

The Weekend Report: A Lot Like Summer

Taking a look at the films releasing this weekend, it certainly feels a hell of a lot like summer. Forget the fact that one of the films releasing is titled Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer. I know I'd certainly like to forget that one. If you're a parent this weekend, I do certainly feel sorry for you. You're either going to be subjected to insurmountable portions of pain and misery through one film, or you're going to be slowly realizing that Super 8 isn't really a kids film. That is, it's not a kids film in the typical sense as the film releasing opposite it.

Parents will realize in a matter of the first half hour that the kids in the film are unbelievably realistic, and therefore not good role models for their children. They say words like "shit" and "asshole" on numerous occasions in the film, which I'm sure parents will frown upon quite a bit. If it feels like a bit of my Super 8 review is gleaning into this post, prepare to be a tad disappointed. It's a film that I'm sure a lot of people are going to like a lot more than I did, but it's not a massive popcorn action film, nor should it be. (P.S. I actually didn't hate this film.)

For Your Anticipation: I Think You Should Look at This First

J.J.'s back in town with another film of his, and I know by now to stop and pay attention when Abrams has something to say. His influence has brought us fantastic films like Star Trek and Cloverfield, as well as lasting television epics like Lost, Fringe, and a few coming this fall. His latest film is an "original" effort, but it's really Abrams' encapsulation of his childhood more than anything. That includes inspiration from the films that he grew up with, not just Spielberg but mostly Spielberg. I can rely on Abrams delivering an authentic feeling 1970s atmosphere, but I have some narrative fears going into Super 8. I'm excited, but I can't help but expect something a tad bit disappointing.

Films to See in 2011: June

I have had a joyfully optimistic entrance into this Summer with May, so it's a rather large disappointment to go from that to the June slate. All of the films that I have been looking forward to in June are coming out in the first two weeks. That leaves a pretty sizable mess of the following two weeks. Jim Carrey is adding yet another pointlessly irritating performance to his repertoire with Mr. Popper's Penguins. Pixar could potentially break their tradition of wonderfully heart filled entertainment with Cars 2. I'm still not sold on Green Lantern, nor do I expect to be so in the following weeks. Luckily, we do have some films waiting to invigorate audiences before this downward slope.

3. Beginners

Directed by Mike Mills

Like most films at this spot, I'm not relentlessly waiting for this film to come out, no pun intended. More can be said of this film than simply saying that it's better than most of what's out there. I'd say that Ewan McGregor, Melanie Laurent, and Christopher Plummer are signs of something great, but everybody has their respective pitfalls. What has me so interested in this film is the witty personal nature of the piece. It's not a broad comedy by any definition, and it focuses on very real and interesting emotions. When you take on a subject such as this, and one that's really never been touched upon, you raise several interesting questions. If director Mike Mills does a good job answering them, he's got something great here.

Theatrical Trailer & Poster: Super 8

It's been a solid month since the Super 8 TV spot managed to stay on the minds of every viewer of the Super Bowl, and now we've finally got a full trailer for the film. In very much J.J. Abrams style, it answers a few questions and raises far more, but not without forgetting the heart. This film seems so elaborately steeped in old-style Spielbergian filmmaking, with a bunch of kids taking center stage to solve the problems the adults can't, an army take over of a small town, and strong themes of family troubles. What this monster looks like, we still don't know, and that's assuming it has a corporeal form. In any case, weird shit is happening in this town, and while some may gripe at the capability of the young actors, I find it a welcome return to the old days of the 1980's. As for the poster, it's honestly the most innovative thing I've seen in a while. Click on the image provided for a larger version!

2011 Super Bowl TV Spots

I honestly couldn't care less about the outcome of the Super Bowl. I don't care about football. I don't really care about any sports. Truth be told, I don't even care about the halftime show. When all is said and done, I only tune in for the commercials, and I'm not talking about the countless senseless Doritos and Budweiser ads. The money that is spent for 30-60 seconds of ad time during the show is ridiculous, and it's always a draw for high profile film previews. Tonight that included a long list of films like Cowboys & Aliens, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. However, the one that everybody is going to be talking about until the first trailer premieres is Super 8. This is our first comprehensive look at the film, and it looks breathtaking in any classic sense of the word.

Thor was nothing new in the slightest, but our first look at Captain America: The First Avenger was slight confirmation of all of my fears. Quite honestly, Thor is looking like a sensible alternative.

I had a bit of a quarrel with a few new friends on how Cowboys & Aliens looks to them, and I was dispirited to hear them call it stupid. I doubt they'd have said that if it had a different title, and the new TV spot added onto the favorable buzz going out for the film.

Closing on a mildly hopeful note, the new TV spot for Transformers: Dark of the Moon brought the awesome flashy visuals we expected, and the hope of something better. On a slightly geekier note, THEY HAVE A ROBOT DRAGON!!!!!

Oh, and just to propel forward my support for advertisements that aren't done with mind-choking stupidity such as Doritos ads, here's the clever ad for House.

Lightning In A Bottle: Best Trailers of 2010

5. Super 8

I know it's a trailer for a film coming out in 2011, but I'm counting any trailer released this year under this list. The most entertaining part of Iron Man 2, sad as it is to say, was the trailers before the film. I payed to see the film a second time, just so I could see those trailers again. J.J. Abrams' secret new trailer for Super 8 arrived very much in the same way that the trailer for Cloverfield did. The only difference was that news of this trailer leaked onto the internet shortly before it debuted, so it was only half a surprise. Still, Abrams does know how to put together an intriguing teaser, packed with special effects, silent intrigue, and the question of what exactly it is all supposed to mean. We'll have to wait until next year to see if it'll actually be worth it, but we've got our fingers crossed.

4. The Social Network

The reveal of the final trailer for David Fincher's much anticipated The Social Network was divided, as the previous two weeks gave us two interesting and unique teasers. Then we got the final work of art, and it gave us an idea of what exactly we were in for. "The Facebook Movie" was no longer a simple joke. It was a film that could be taken seriously by audiences and critics. Right from the opening, the trailer pushed style and art before thrusting us forward into dark yellow cinematography of Harvard. The screenplay was praise-worthy, even in such a fragmented format. The cover of Creep that played in the background gave an eerie undertone to it all, fit the theme of the film, and it soon became the song that best described this year in film.

3. Blue Valentine

I have a special preference for these trailers that don't go with the regular format, and instead decide to go with something a little simpler, but more striking. In many ways, this trailer works brilliantly for this specific film, because even though it doesn't quite go over the bar with grit, it's still quite raw. It's certainly enough to get me in the theater, because Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling are two spectacular understated actors. They're so honest in the interpretation of all this. It only hints at the insanity that ensues when their relationship starts to crumble, but it's only a teaser trailer. It's meant to get you interested, and this one gets us into the seats.

2. Black Swan

There were two trailers this year that had absolutely everybody talking, because they challenged the audience to buy into their insanity, and succeeded. This was really close to nabbing the top spot, but Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan still has plenty going for it. The first footage that made its way to the public was gob-smacking, and gave the consistent feeling of WTF(?) throughout that final minute. We knew it was going to be absolutely terrifying, but there were points in which it just got disturbing. From that creepy crow-face to red-eyed Nina pulling a black feather out of her skin. At a point I was wondering whether it was a ballet-thriller or some dark work of fantasy. Back then, I didn't think this film would be nominated for Best Picture, but I knew it was going to be amazing.

1. Inception

It may seem like a bit of an overstatement, but there is no way this could be considered anything less than the best trailer of the year. A lot of what went into it was the mystery and anticipation surrounding Christopher Nolan's latest mindbender, and all of that is still there. Wally Pfister's cinematography is always brimming with artistry and detail, and combining that with the unique visuals that the dream world provides us is like catching lightning in a bottle. I watched this trailer at least twenty times in a row when it reached the internet. Perhaps the most important quality of it all was Zack Hemsey's Mind Heist, which played in the background of the trailer. It brought all the excitement and anticipation out to the audience on an emotional level. This trailer was a success on every level of sound, sight, and editing. From that moment on, the main event of the summer was Inception.